The first couple of weeks had been rough. Travis had wanted to sleep with Beck, but woke up screaming and flailing more often than not. Despite that, the big man had been more patient than any slave had a right to hope for. He simply held Travis until her knew where he was and then soothed him until finally ally asleep again. He persisted, holding Travis every night without fail until at last he’d slept through the night.

Not only had Travis slept through the night, but he’d slept so well and deep that Beck had had to wake him. It had been a turning point and the last couple of weeks since had been blessedly nightmare-free. Not just that, but also filled with warm hugs and gentle caresses as Beck seemed to try and get him to remember that being touched didn’t have to hurt.

Travis could honestly say that a month after being bought by Beck, he felt as though life might have meaning again. He didn’t hurt, he wasn’t hungry, he couldn’t smell himself anymore, and best of all, he wasn’t terrified of living. Life no longer meant pain, shame, or humiliation, it meant good cooked and spiced to perfection; it meant light kisses and soft touches.

“I got you something while I was out.”

Travis looked away from the television in surprise. For such a giant, Beck moved silently. It helped that he’d stopped jumped at every small noise. He’d started to feel safe, something he’d never ever thought to know again in his life. Smiling at his Master’s return, he’d been gone since before Travis had woken, he hopped off the sofa and walked over to him.

Lacing his fingers with Beck’s, he asked, “What?

Holding a bag out with his free hand, Beck teased, “Open it and see.”

Taking the bag, Travis grinned at him and tugged him over to the sofa. He sat cross-legged and reached into the bag to pull out a jewelry box. It looked expensive and his mouth dried while his heart hammered in his chest. He knew what was inside and it wasn’t a ring.

“Travis? You okay?” Beck prompted quietly.

Swallowing heavily, Travis nodded and opened the box. Inside lay a silver Chain with solid looking links, maybe a half-inch long and interlocking to lay flat against the black silk of the box.

“So you know that this is permanent. Nothing and no one’s going to take you from me.”

The low rumble of Beck’s voice cut through the wail of ghosts in Travis’ head. He met the other man’s brown eyes and whispered, “How can you stand to be around me? I’m nothing, I’m worthless.”

A strong hand immediately gripped Travis’ shoulder and Beck said fiercely, “You’re not worthless, Travis! You’re mine. I want you because you’re smart and funny and kind.”

Shaking his head, Travis told him, “You don’t know what I did, Master. I was worse…lower than the lowest whore. It didn’t matter who used me, I just took it.”

Beck drew him onto his lap, wrapping arms around him and holding loosely as he said against Travis’ ear, “I know, Travis, but that wasn’t your fault. None of it was. You had no choice, understand? You did what you had to do to survive and for that, I’m grateful.”

Travis couldn’t stop shaking and clutched one hand in his Master’s shirt, pressing his face to the other’s throat and breathing in his comforting scent. The box corners dug into his palm, but Travis also couldn’t make himself let go.

“Nothing of what went before matters,” Beck continued. “It’s over and done with. From here on out, it’s just you and me, Travis. That’s why I got the Chain. To show you how much you mean to me. It’s titanium, which is one of the strongest metals around. Nothing can break this, or us.”

For a long time, Travis stayed where he was, relishing the slow caress of Beck’s hand up and down his back and the occasional kiss to his forehead or temple. He took a deep breath and slowly released it, sitting up a bit to look at Beck and say, “My father…he bought me back at one point but he was so…I wasn’t his son anymore. Said I’d done worse than disgrace the family name and since, since I was such a whore…Gods, this is hard…he, he used me, too. Fucked me in front of the help and then gave me to them and watched.

“That was when I stopped caring about everything. If my own father thought that of me, how could anyone else be different, you know? But, then you showed up. Master, you don’t know how much…I want this, I want your Chain and I want you to Claim me. I want everything you have to give and I want to be yours forever. You saved me and I…I think I could love you.”

“Give me the box,” Beck ordered, voice rough.

Travis handed it over and a few seconds later, the Chain descended around his throat, cold at first, but rapidly warming to his body temperature. Beck kissed the back of his neck and a shiver ran through Travis.

Beck looked at him for a long moment and then kissed him with intent for the first time. Before, all the kisses had been restrained and careful, tender. Now, the kiss was full-on want and Travis moaned in helpless need as Beck’s tongue entered his mouth to explore. His body responded favorably to physical contact for the first time in years and he nearly cried at the way his dick hardened. He’d thought something might actually have been irreparably damaged, but with just a barely-there caress of Beck’s hand over his shaft, his dick ached.

Beck pulled back just enough to order, “Kiss me,” and then delve back in.

Taking the command to heart, Travis kissed back, pushing his tongue against his Master’s and sliding his arms around Beck’s waist as they stretched out on the sofa. It felt so good, kissing and being touched, his hands roaming over the other man’s broad shoulders and lightly scratching down the shirt.

When Beck growled and broke off the kiss, Travis looked at him in confusion and asked, “Did I do something wrong? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

Beck put a finger over his lips and said, “You’re perfect, Travis. Someone’s knocking at the door.”

Travis grinned at that and wrapped his hand in his Master’s shirt, pulling at him. “So? They’ll go away eventually.”

Chuckling, Beck observed, “Give you an inch and you take a mile.”

“I thought you liked that,” Travis quipped, daring.

Beck’s broad grin answered that and he did dip down for another kiss, though much shorter. He commanded, “Don’t go anywhere. I won’t be long.”

Travis deliberately stretched into an arch and then gave him an innocent look as he agreed, “I won’t go anywhere, Master.”

Groaning and muttering something under his breath, Beck stood, discreetly adjusting himself on the walk to the front door.

Travis’ good mood fled the moment the door opened, though, and their visitor said, “Where the hell have you been, Beck? I’ve left you three God damned voice mails and sent emails.”

“Look, Billy, I’ve taken the month off and you know it,” Beck answered. “Not to be rude or anything but, go away already.”

Billy snarled, “You owe me, Beck!”

Travis couldn’t believe his ears. Not only did Beck know his father, but he was working for him. Maybe Billy had even sent him to buy Travis. It was difficult to believe that Beck could be so deceptive, but what other explanation was there? Pure chance? Not likely.

“Travis? What’s wrong?”

“Travis? What do you mean, Travis? Beck, what the fuck is my son doing here?”

“Your son?”

They both sounded like they were coming from so far away, darkness encroaching on his vision as it hadn’t in a couple of weeks. He vaguely recognized the panic attack but couldn’t stop himself from lashing at Beck when he tried to hold Travis.

“Travis, Travis, stop it! Ow! Sonuva, stop!”

Travis stopped thrashing, but only because Beck was too strong and held him in an iron grip. Panting harshly, Travis went limp, refusing to look at either man, keeping his eyes closed.

“I’m waiting for a fucking explanation, Beck!” Billy snapped.

Beck actually growled back, “Fuck off, Billy! Get out of my apartment before I throw you out.”

Billy cursed and the door slammed a few seconds later.

“Travis? C’mon, buddy, look at me please, I know you’re conscious.”

But Travis kept his eyes shut. He couldn’t bear to look at the man who’d so completely lied to him. The man he’d started to trust after all evidence to the contrary said never to trust anyone ever again.

Beck sighed and simply lifted him, carrying him away from the sofa. A few moments later, he was laid on the bed and went rigid. The pretense was over. He was about to find out exactly the kind of man Beck really was. Whatever reason the man had had for screwing with his head like he had clearly didn’t matter any more. Beck would fuck him and use him, just like everyone else.

“You’re going to pull a neck muscle,” Beck said easily as the bed dipped.

It was something of a surprise to feel the bed dip before any clothes had been removed. Even stranger, the blankets were rearranged over him, tucked tight around him, while Beck lay on top of it, though right beside him.

A strong hand rested on his chest, over his heart, and Beck sighed again before saying, “I had no idea that Billy was your father, Travis. I knew he’d bought you and then returned you to the market, but that was it. I swear it by the Gods, Travis, I did not know. Now that I do…I won’t be working for him ever again. I swear it to you, Travis. And if I get the chance to avenge your honor for what he did to you, I will fucking kill him.”

Travis’ eyes opened at that, the raw fury in Beck’s voice really reaching him. His Master lay on his side, facing Travis, dark eyes filled with emotions. He wanted so badly to believe in Beck, but he’d been burned so many times before.

“I know you’re angry and confused now, so I’m going to sleep on the sofa tonight,” Beck continued. “I want you to be able to trust me and I can see how this whole thing would seem like a setup to you. I know that’s what I would think and I haven’t been through what you have. Just…don’t close the book on me, okay?”

Beck reached out and curved his palm over Travis’ cheek. He offered a crooked smile before moving to leave the bed. Before he even knew what he was doing, Travis’ hand snapped out to grab his Master’s arm. Beck gave him a startled look, but Travis’ tongue wouldn’t work. He couldn’t get out the words to ask the other man to stay.

Slowly nodding, Beck lay back down, but climbed under the covers with Travis, spooning behind him, an arm over Travis’ waist with his hand resting on Travis’ abs. He felt lightheaded until he remembered to breathe. For a long time, he lay there stiffly, his Master pressed up against him from behind, but as the other made no further moves, he relaxed by degrees.

The weight of the Chain around his throat reminded him of just how good Beck had been to him. Not just the Chain, but the way Beck simply held him loosely, letting him work through the seeming betrayal in his own way and time. His mind went over the conversation that they’d had not that long ago and he couldn’t see anything of subterfuge in his Master’s voice or looks or words. Travis knew that if he didn’t believe, if he couldn’t trust, then the rest of his life would be spent with hate and fear, regardless of his surroundings.

Letting out a long sigh, Travis rolled over and looked up to find a sober, worried expression on Beck’s face. He managed to get out in a choked whisper, “He just, he threw me away, Master. He used me and then threw me to his dogs like I was nothing.”

Beck swallowed visibly and whispered back, “I will never do that. I’ll take care of you, Travis. You never have to fear me.”

Before he could lose his nerve, Travis ordered, “Kiss me.”

Beck looked briefly startled again, but then moved in and oh, so carefully, kissed him. It was a light, chaste thing, barely a kiss at all, and Travis’ breath hitched and he swallowed back a sob as he threw his arms around Beck. Strong arms went around him and Beck murmured words he couldn’t quite make out over the sound of his own cries. The numbness around his heart had cracked and exploded with the pain of his father’s betrayal.

It seemed to go on forever and Travis’ head ached horribly by the end of it, his eyes hot and gritty from all the tears. Exhaustion dogged him, even as he wanted to stay awake, sure that the nightmares would return with Billy front and center in them.

“Sleep, Travis. I’m not going anywhere,” Beck promised, kissing his temple. “Get some sleep, baby, please.”

Travis nodded and let himself drift to the sensation of Beck’s hands rubbing gentle circles over his back. As he fell into sleep, he thought that just maybe the future would be better than he had a right to hope for. A whispered, “I’ll take care of you,” caused his lips to twitch into a smile and he fell asleep the rest of the way.